Steinberg LM-4
by David Korn
November 2, 2000
Summing it Up
The LM-4 is a convenient way to access drum sounds within a VST 2.0-compatible sequencer. It offers drum machine-like features, such as hi-hat mode and pad polyphony, that you would not necessarily find on a sampler. Too bad that programming your own drum sets is a bit awkward -- let's hope that it's easier in the next version.
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The LM4 (US $99) plug-in editor is a reminiscent of the LinnDrum front panel.
(click for a close-up)
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The Steinberg LM-4 VST 2.0 plug-in is a sample-based drum machine -- minus the sequencing functions of most drum machines. You click on the 18 pads to trigger the samples, a method not exactly suited to rhythm programming, but you may also use a MIDI keyboard to trigger samples for less awkward programming.
The LM-4 takes design cues from the original Linn LM-1: Sliders for the level and tuning of each pad appear in the upper half of the editing window. The panning for a selected sound is set with the Panorama control. You can route the output of each sound to the main stereo outs or use the four additional mono outs for individual processing. I would have preferred the extra outputs to be arranged as stereo pairs. You also get controls for global volume and velocity response.
Of course, at some point you'll want to import your own sounds into the LM-4. The program supports 16- or 24-bit WAV or AIFF files, mono or stereo, of any sample rate.
This freeware utility lets you program your own LM-4 drum sets.
(click for a close-up)
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Programming the LM-4 can get complicated. Creating a drum set involves opening a text file in which you type the voicing data following scripting conventions -- not very user-friendly. Luckily, you can download the LM-4 kit editor from the Steinberg website, a freeware (read: no tech support) utility that can ease the process. With it, you can stack multiple samples on the same pad and assign them to different velocity ranges. You can also adjust each pad's polyphony, so that playing the same pad twice mutes the previous note -- useful for cymbal crashes, among other things. You can also assign pads to groups so that samples like closed and open hi-hat won't sound at the same time.
The LM-4 comes with a dozen drum kits from Steinberg and independent developer Wizoo, some of which make use of the velocity switching capability. Another library with 36 drum kits, Bitbeats' XXL Compilation, is available from Steinberg
Next Page: Steinberg LM-4; System Requirements; Sonic Preview....
David Korn ("that French journalist") is a musician, sound designer, and journalist, who specializes on the creative tools offered by computing technology. He's also a vintage synthesizer specialist. His articles have been published in various magazines around the world, such as Keyboards (France), Audiomedia (UK), and Keyboard (Japan). He is based in Paris.
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